Disease sheet · NEXTEKCI School
Heat stress
heat stroke
In Côte d’Ivoire, heat is one of the flock’s main enemies. Above 30 to 32 °C, especially when the air is humid, the chicken can no longer get rid of its body heat: it pants, eats less, drinks much more and may then die. It is not a contagious disease, but it is prevented like one.
Type
non-infectious
Severity
serious
Who is affected
All poultry; especially heavy broilers at the end of the flock and layers.
Most affected age
Mainly heavy birds at the end of the growing period.
Signs to look for
- •Open beak, rapid panting, wings held away from the body.
- •Birds lying down, spread out, against the walls or under the drinkers.
- •Lower feed intake, sharply higher water intake.
- •Deaths in the afternoon; heavy birds found on their backs.
- •In layers: thin shells and a drop in laying.
How it spreads
- •Not contagious: it is caused by heat and air humidity.
- •Made worse by a house that is too wide or badly oriented, an uninsulated metal roof, still air.
- •Made worse by high stocking density, too few drinkers or warm water.
- •Made worse by feeding during the hottest hours and handling in the afternoon.
Not to be confused with
- •Respiratory diseases (open beak)
- •Avian influenza and Newcastle disease (sudden deaths)
- •Lack of water (breakdown, empty drinkers)
Prevention
- •Prepare for the hot season: fewer birds per square metre, roof painted white or insulated.
- •Water store in the shade, enough drinkers.
- •Well-oriented open-sided house, adjustable curtains, circulation fans.
- •Feed given in the evening and early morning, not during the hottest hours.
- •Sell heavy flocks a little earlier during very hot periods.
What to do if you suspect it
- •Plenty of cool water: refill from the shaded store, add drinkers.
- •Open the curtains on both sides; get air moving over the birds.
- •Wet the metal roof; mist only if the air is moving and not already very humid.
- •Raise the feeders during the hottest hours; no weighing, no vaccination, no handling.
- •Walk slowly through the house to get the birds up and drinking.
- •Water additives only on the advice of the vet in your area. If deaths occur without intense heat, call them: it may not be the heat.
This sheet helps you recognise the disease and react quickly. It does not replace the veterinarian: only they can diagnose and prescribe a treatment. Worried about your flock? Write to us on WhatsApp at +225 05 44 83 27 79.